


Cocoon

by leanermina



Series: Winging It [1]
Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-29 10:21:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,258
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14470575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leanermina/pseuds/leanermina
Summary: The Jets are snowed in at the airport for the night. Laine and Ehlers decide to explore a little.





	Cocoon

Opening his eyes, he saw that the entire world outside was white. Only several eerie orange lights, dotted intermittently throughout the landscape, sought to break up the haze. A loud rumble of thunder echoed distantly, with seemingly nothing to pre-empt its arrival. Nik doubted he would have been able to see the lightning anyway, even if he had been watching for it. Not in this storm.

 

He thought back to storms as a child, lying in bed cocooned in his blankets as the wind rushed past. Safe. And when it got really bad sometimes his mother would come in and tell him it was okay, that the house wasn’t really going to fall down even if it felt like it would right that second.

 

In a way, he supposed, being trapped here wasn’t unlike those times. Tucked in their little bubble at the airport, a glass dome blanketed by snow, warm under the howling breeze. If anything was different, it was that the Canadian weather felt worse than anything they got back home.

 

He leaned his head back, away from the glass window, and touched his forehead with the fingers of one hand, feeling the cold there. Back into the warmth.

 

‘You okay, Nik?’, Mark was asking from somewhere behind him, and he turned, quickly breaking into an easy smile.

 

‘Yeah, of course.’ He shuddered and moved back to where the rest of the guys were lounging around the seats by the terminal. Scheifs watched him go before turning back to the sports stats pages of the newspaper he’d picked up. Of course he was reading that. Fucking nerd.

 

Nik opened his mouth to tell him that, only to pause as Patrik appeared at his side, touching his elbow.

 

‘Hey.’

 

‘Hey. What’s up?’

 

‘Wheels says flight’s been delayed, _again_. Said we should try and sleep.’

 

‘ _Again?_ Fuck.’ Nik rubbed one hand across his face. ‘Where is he?’

 

‘Over there, with the other old- _older_ guys. They’re boring so I came to talk to you.’

 

He laughed. ‘I’m touched, man.’

 

Looking over, Nik could see what Patrik meant: Blake had his head on his travel pillow. Nik didn’t think he was asleep but couldn’t really tell from across the other side of the room, and wasn’t about to go and potentially wake their captain up just to satisfy his curiosity. Toby and Matt were also there, eyes closed. Mathieu was already half-asleep, head propped up on one hand and eyelids drooping, and Paul, the new guy, was scrolling through his phone.

 

‘Yeah.’ Swinging his head back around, he found Patrik was smiling at him. The Finn continued; ‘Hey, so I was looking around. There’s plenty of places to eat, and a lot of them are empty. Wanna go get a midnight dinner and explore?’

 

‘Sure, let’s do it. When are we gonna get to do this again?’

 

‘Exactly.’ Patrik grinned triumphantly.

 

Nik hovered, shifting from one sneakered foot to the other, waiting for Patrik to ask Scheifs or one of the other guys if they maybe wanted to join. Only he walked away without a backward glance, and- curse his long legs- Nik jogged to catch up.

 

‘So, where we goin’? You got somewhere in mind?’

 

‘Not really.’

 

He nodded, and thankfully Patrik slowed his pace a little, so that the two of them were strolling across the brightly lit airport. Moving around a cluster of empty benches, Nik realised; it really was quiet in here. Emptier than he had maybe ever seen it. It made it feel colder somehow. Even though they were sheltered from outside, the icy weather seemed to be seeping in the cracks, and underneath the fluorescent lighting there was a dim grey glow from the windows overhead. The clinical atmosphere was only emphasised by the lack of people. The few shuffling around nearby looked like extras from a zombie movie or something.

 

He moved a little closer to Patrik’s side and laughed as the Finn playfully pinched his neck.

 

‘Ow.’

 

Patrik chuckled and dropped his arm.

 

After several minutes of wandering, Nik spotted a bright, interesting café. The colours of the interior seemed to mask the cold, and the woman standing at the counter looked bright and chipper in spite of the storm. Glancing round, suddenly, she made eye contact with Nik, blinking and breaking into a smile. A customer service smile.

 

‘Hey.’ Nik nudged Patrik in the ribs. ‘What about here?’

 

They slowed, drawing level with the front of the café. It was probably just some pop-up frozen yoghurt store or something of that kind, yet it seemed like it would make a nice change from the drab airport interior.

 

But Patrik was frowning as he scanned the storefront. ‘No.’ He shook his head stubbornly. ‘Not there.’

 

And without another word he was pressing onwards.

 

‘Okay.’ Nik dashed to catch up with him again. ‘So how about there?’ He pointed to the sushi bar on the end of the row of open storefronts. He wasn’t even sure if anyone was inside; there was no sign of employees, although the lights were on.

 

‘Nah. We’ll find somewhere, come on.’

 

They turned a corner and pressed on silently. Nik decided not to ask questions, beyond occasionally pointing to a restaurant and inquiring; ‘There?’

 

Each time the answer was a no. Patrik was not normally so fussy, especially when it came to food. He must have a reason for it, Nik supposed. Better to just let him get on with it.

 

They paused as they rounded another corner. Patrik was staring around, frowning slightly, and Nik was about to ask him what was wrong, only for the Finn’s eyes to suddenly light up as they zeroed in on whatever he had been looking for.

 

‘There’, he said decisively, pointing with one finger.

 

Nik looked.

 

His first thought was that this was not really a restaurant for hockey players. Especially not players like them, tired and in need of a shower and- specifically in Patrik’s case- a shave. There was mahogany wood and dark leather seats and small flickering lanterns and goddamn _candles_. Patrik had managed to pick the fanciest restaurant in the whole airport. The place high end businessmen and their wives went as they prepared to jet off to the Maldives.

 

His second thought was that it looked pretty quiet, and sort of romantic. Or, at least, as romantic as an airport restaurant could be.

 

And his third thought was that he really, _really,_ wanted to go there with Patrik.

 

‘Okay’, he said quietly, a little dazed. ‘Looks good’

 

Stepping inside was like entering another world, a warmer world. There were no windows, and any distant sounds of the storm were blotted out. The grey gloom and fake fluorescent lighting were replaced by a soft amber glow, and the deep smell of worn leather.

 

They sat down across from each other in a dimly lit booth without waiting for someone to come and show them to their seats. Asides from an elderly couple in a booth further along eating some fancy-looking desserts, the place was barren.

 

As he glanced across the menu, Nik couldn’t help continually glancing up to where Patrik was casually doing the same. _Did he deliberately find this place? Somewhere romantic?_

Patrik looked up at his friend and gave a toothy grin, and Nik swallowed. _Just ask. Ask him why he brought you here. Tell him that you feel safer and more comfortable when he’s around. Tell him that you normally can’t stop grinning whenever he smiles at you. Tell him that you sometimes wonder how it would be to kiss him._

Patrik’s face spread in a grin and he pointed to the open flame that burned in between them, radiating its heat out across Nik’s cheeks. ‘Aren’t you gonna do your weird candle thing?’

 

Nik obliged with a laugh, waving one hand over the fire, pausing to press one slightly singed finger pad to his tongue.

 

‘How do you do that?’, Patrik asked, voice low. His eyes were trained on his friend’s hand.

 

‘It’s easy.’ Nik shrugged, although his shoulders felt oddly tensed up. The situation- the not knowing- was putting him on edge. ‘See. Like this?’

 

He demonstrated, and Patrik tried to copy him, moving his hand out above the candle, only to swiftly pull it back. Nik began to chuckle at him, and the Finn burst out in open-mouthed laughter.

 

Nik began to relax. Of course his best friend wasn’t trying to imply anything romantic. It was just Patrik, being exuberant as usual. It stung a little, in a way, yet being here and having fun like this- in this bubble of warmth, laughing so loudly that the elderly couple turned their way in surprise- felt like… It felt like his mother telling him the house wasn’t going to fall down, that he was safe inside. It felt like coming off the ice after a long training session and drinking hot chocolate and his father looping one arm around him to press him into his fleecy jacket. It felt like warmth and comfort and excitement and more than anything he had ever had in his life.

 

‘Show me?’, Patrik asked lightly, and Nik grabbed hold of his wrist, moving it back to the flame.

 

But a second later, Patrik was shaking his head and drawing away again. ‘No, no, no’, he said. ‘I can’t, man.’ There was a small smile tugging at one corner of his lips.

 

‘You suck’, Nik taunted.

 

‘Maybe.’ Patrik waggled his pale eyebrows, then both of them turned abruptly as the kitchen door clattered open and closed.

 

A waiter dashed across to take their orders.

 

‘Getting your usual pre-game meal?’, the tall blond smirked across once he had left.

 

‘Yeah?’ Nik blinked. ‘Why?’

 

‘I doubt there’ll be a game at this rate. Why not try something new?’

 

Nik smirked down at the table. ‘Maybe dessert.’

 

He was rewarded with a small chuckle.

 

The food came quickly, and it was almost worth the extortionate price they charged for it. They ate in relative silence, making an occasional remark about how good the meal was.

 

While was taking his final few bites, a cluster of movement sparked Nik’s interest.

 

A group of guys- _their_ guys- were walking past one of the open sides of the restaurant. As he watched, Buff threw him an inquisitive look from behind Patrik’s shoulder, and Nik merely gave a cheeky grin, mouth full of food in response.

 

Patrik looked at him, confused, then turned around and waved.

 

Nik settled back into his seat, setting his knife and fork down.

 

‘They look more awake than before.’

 

‘They do.’ Patrik set his own cutlery down. ‘Dessert?’

 

‘Only if it’s on you.’

 

‘Why on me?’

 

‘You know you’re gonna be making those big dollars in a couple years.’

 

Patrik turned red slightly, and slouched down in the seat, but continued to beam openly at Nik. ‘You know it. Don’t mean I have to pay your dessert, though, you cheap Dane.’

 

‘I’m just kidding’, Nik responded, also slouching down and giving a brief smile and thanks to the waiter as he came to take their plates. ‘I know you’d be too cheap to pay anyway. Finnish people.’

 

He didn’t expect Patrik to fully rise to the bait- it was a weak shot after all, the kind of nonsensical jab they frequently fired at each other and just as frequently brushed away- but the younger man sitting across from him immediately roused, sitting up straight and beginning to protest.

 

‘Hey! If you want me to get it, I can get it! Show you wrong.’

 

‘No, Pat, I’m joking, you really don’t have to-’

 

‘But I really want to. Get your dessert’, Patrik said, almost an order.

 

‘Okay, okay.’ Nik turned to the re-appearing waiter. ‘Erm, can I get… Do you have this sundae?’ He grinned sheepishly while pointing at the menu. ‘I’m bad at pronounc-’

 

‘Knickerbocker glory? Of course.’

 

‘Wow, ice cream, really trying something new there, Nik.’ Patrik rolled his eyes.

 

‘Hey man, I like what I like.’

 

Patrik guffawed and ordered his own desserts, and the two settled back into silence.

 

Nik smiled absently down at his hands. This was nice. He was still pretty sure that Patrik hadn’t intended for this to seem like a date, or in any way romantic at all, but it sort of felt that way still. And it was good. The kind of thing he’d want to do on a date.

 

‘What are you thinking?’, a soft voice asked, and he looked up, startled. Patrik was speaking more softly than he was used to.

 

‘Just about the flight. Maybe we should try to get home some other way if it’s delayed a lot more.’ Nik smirked. ‘Also, that I’ve never heard you so quiet.’

 

‘I’m hungry.’

 

‘Still?’

 

‘Yeah. Maybe should’ve got two desserts, huh?’

 

‘The trainers wouldn’t be happy with that before a game.’ Nik eyed him speculatively. ‘You’re not getting any of mine.’

 

‘Maybe I don’t want any of your kicker-’

 

‘ _Knicker_ boxer.’

 

‘ _Knick_ er _bocker_ ’, Patrik corrected.

 

They both giggled.

 

The waiter reappeared with the desserts. Nik blinked. He could barely see Patrik over the towering heights of his sundae.

 

‘Good?’, the waiter asked as Nik took his first bite.

 

Nik merely nodded, wide-eyed, as he tried to fight the brain freeze.

 

‘Nik’, Patrik said when he was gone. ‘Nikki?’

 

‘Yeah?’ Nik peered around his ice cream.

 

‘Hi.’ Patrik’s pulled a silly face, and Nik chortled. He dropped it to ask; ‘You want to try some of mine? We can swap.’

 

‘Sure.’

 

Patrik raised his spoon and took a- rather large- chunk of the knickerbocker glory. Nik bit his tongue.

 

‘Mmmm. Good.’ The Finn closed his eyes and exaggerated his blissful look.

 

‘Okay’, Nik replied, suddenly feeling a little antsy. ‘Mine now.’

 

‘Okay.’ Patrik took a spoonful of his cake and held it up over the sundae.

 

‘What are you doing?’

 

‘You wanted to try some.’

 

‘Yeah, pass me your plate, don’t- That’s like we’re-’ Patrik’s eyebrows shot further and further up his forehead as his left wing spoke. Nik sighed in defeat. ‘Okay. Just give me the cake.’

 

Patrik passed the spoon over. ‘You want to do it yourself, okay. Enjoy my germs’, he joked breezily.

 

It was nice. Pretty light and airy. Nik didn’t exaggerate his reaction like his friend, simply passing the spoon back with an, ‘s’good’, and continuing to plough through his ice cream.

 

Once they’d finished they both sat back, stomachs full.

 

‘Thank god I’m wearing sweatpants’, Nik joked.

 

Patrik asked for the bill when the waiter returned to collect their empty dishes. ‘I’ll get it.’

 

Nik shrugged, a little awkwardly. ‘You really don’t have to, I was joking-’

 

‘No, I’ll get it.’

 

‘Okay. Rookie thinks he’s a bigshot now, can buy his friends food.’

 

Nik laughed at his own joke, thinking of the discrepancy between the Patrik in front of him and that rookie whose first season was still fresh in his mind. How he had shown up with a confident, friendly smile, all long limbs and crooked joints, often folding them all together when he sat down as though he was closing back in on himself. That hadn’t lasted too long. Nik had watched as he grew into his height, bulked out. Become strong enough to almost rival Buff in the hardest shot competition. He would never be as fast as Nik over the ice, even with the advantage his long stride gave him, but he wasn’t exactly heavy-footed. He was just the right balance of cocky and self-assured, and humble. He was Patrik.

 

‘You’re two years older than me’, said teammate pointed out. ‘And like half a foot shorter.’

 

‘Hey, I’m six foot. No short jokes allowed.’ He waited for Patrik to pay, then said; ‘I’ll get you back next time. Come on, let’s go explore.’

 

‘Okay. Next time.’

 

The two made their way out, and again it was like stepping from one world into another. Nik had almost forgotten how gloomy it was outside. Still he thought that maybe it was getting a little lighter, although he was unsure if that was perhaps a combination of wishful thinking and a faulty memory.

 

They meandered along the line of shops arranged under the dismal grey canopy of the roof.

 

‘When you say, ‘next time’, you’d better not be taking me there’, Patrik said, and Nik laughed as he saw that the Finn was indicating towards a McDonalds.

 

‘No, I have class.’ His eyes drifted across to the store next to the fast food store. It was a Gamestop.

 

‘Hey, can I go in and get a game?’

 

‘Of course, let’s go.’

 

Surprisingly, there were a few other people milling around inside. Probably thinking along the same kind of line as Nik; if they were going to be stuck back at home for a while- or maybe in a hotel for some of them, he guessed- because of the weather, might as well have something to occupy yourself with.

 

He deliberated for some time among the Xbox games while Patrik moved around him, continuously drifting off to the other side of the shop and returning at random intervals.

 

Eventually, he settled on a horror game.

 

‘Thought it’d be fun to play on the road’, he explained to Patrik as they made their way back out. The ‘fun _for us_ to play’ was inherently implied in that.

 

‘Yeah. I’ll play, as long as you’ll play it with me.’

 

‘Sure. How else am I going to kick your ass at it?’

 

‘I think I’ll be the one doing the ass-kicking, Nikki.’

 

Nik scoffed but let it slide as he didn’t really have sufficient evidence to dispute that. Patrik really was good at gaming. Probably since he didn’t do much else when he got home from the rink. That and eat and sleep.

 

It was definitely lighter outside as they strolled along, Nik realised, and the howling wind had died down to what sounded to be a stiff breeze. He thought maybe the storm was beginning to clear.

 

They were making a sort of slow loop back around in the general direction of the terminal where they left the team when Patrik suddenly veered off.

 

‘Pat, where are you going? I thought we were going back.’

 

‘Just one minute. You like chocolate, right?’

 

‘Of course.’

 

Nik saw Patrik was heading into a chocolate shop, and his heart sunk. Partly due to the fact that it would be so hard to pull Patrik away from there, but also because Nik didn’t know if he’d be able to have the willpower to resist spending multiple hours in there himself.

 

Ten minutes later, Patrik had swept the whole shop, and had managed to load a basket with several different boxes of chocolate.

 

‘Are these all for your mom?’, Nik asked curiously as his friend dropped yet another one in, full of a sample Nik had just been trying. It had been pretty good.

 

‘No. Well, maybe one. I don’t know.’

 

‘What, a girlfriend or-?’ Nik’s heart stuttered slightly at the thought.

 

Patrik snorted and shook his head, before meeting Nik’s wondering glance. ‘Which ones are your favourites?’

 

‘Er…’ Nik scanned the shop and finally settled on some on a shelf nearby. ‘Probably these.’

 

‘Okay.’

 

Nik watched slack-jawed as Patrik picked up several boxes of the kind Nik had pointed out and loaded them onto the counter.

 

The woman behind the desk looked from Patrik to Nik with her dark eyebrows arched in perfect curves.

 

Nik felt his face heating up slightly. ‘Look, if this is proving some kind of point about you buying things for your friends, or your contract, or something, you don’t-’

 

‘Shh, you love it’, Patrik answered confidently, credit card already in hand. Nik was starting to grow worried for the state of his bank account.

 

Once they were outside, chocolates in a bag around Patrik’s wrist, he admitted; ‘Alright. I sort of do.’

 

Patrik smiled back at him, the crooked half-cocky, half-fond look that Nik remembered. He may have grown up and filled out a little, yet he was still Patrik.

 

He was so caught up in that gaze that it took Nik a moment to recognise that they were moving in the wrong direction.

 

‘Weren’t the guys over that way?’, he asked, hesitating.

 

‘Yeah, I just wanna check something out.’

 

So far Patrik’s odd whims seemed to have brought him joy- and good food, which was always a bonus- so Nik didn’t object as he followed on the taller man’s heels.

 

Patrik led him along through the terminals. The ones facing on this side, Nik knew, usually had a pretty nice view; at least in comparison to the busier side they were currently parked up in. He secretly also suspected that he played better in games after flying from a gate over this side, not that he would tell any of his teammates that.

 

They stopped at a gate with no flights up on the board. A few people lounged around on the seats, seemingly having come there to seek a quiet rest. As they passed among them Nik saw that they were all asleep, blindfolds on and travel pillows behind their heads. One old man was snoring softly, a bubble of spit blowing in and out of his open mouth, and Patrik threw an amused look back over his shoulder.

 

Upon reaching the glass windows, Nik saw that he had been right: The storm had settled down slightly: although the wind was still blowing strong, the haze had given way to clarity. There was a blanket of white stretching out ahead of them in the distance. On the periphery of their view, at other terminals, some of the airport workers were beginning to clear it away. However directly in front of them the sun was rising, soaking the blanket stretching over the distant fields with a golden glow. It was dazzling.

 

‘Wow.’

 

‘I know’, Patrik said. ‘Should’ve brought sunglasses.’

 

‘Yeah.’

 

‘Wanna sit down a while?’ The Finn gestured at an empty row of seats behind them.

 

Nik nodded and the two sat down side by side, legs barely touching.

 

He was just considering bringing out his phone to perhaps take a picture, and check with the other guys if there were any updates on the flight- which he doubted- when he heard Patrik rustling with the bags.

 

‘What are you doing?’, he asked without looking around.

 

‘Okay, just keep looking forward. Trust me.’

 

‘What? Why?’

 

‘You’ll see.’

 

‘Alright.’

 

Nik resisted the urge to peer from the corner of his eyes, concentrating on the glorious view before him rather than whatever Patrik was messing about with. He felt his friend press in a little closer to his side, and swallowed nervously.

 

When something small was pressed to his lips he involuntarily jerked his head back.

 

‘Pat, wha-? Oh.’

 

‘You said you liked these. Open your mouth.’

 

Nik did as instructed. And oh god, he was so glad he had picked these chocolates as his favourites.

 

He thought maybe Patrik would just give him the one, but he continued to feed him, two, then three, and then four, all creamy and sweet. The intimacy of the gesture made him feel hot, yet comfortable; not the kind of heat where his face flushed and his hands shook, more the deep pooling heat in his stomach when everything in the world felt right and Patrik’s fingers skimmed his cheek in a comfortably erotic manner. He hummed and shut his eyes, and there was a pause in the flow of chocolates, which he didn’t really mind, as something had suddenly occurred to him.

 

Opening his eyes again, he looked out from their corners to see Patrik watching him with wide, hopeful blue eyes.

 

And damn. He was smooth.

 

Trying to keep his voice calm, he just asked; ‘Patrik. Do you like me? I mean, _like_ me?’

 

Patrik laughed. ‘Duh.’ He looked a little smug. ‘So, did you like our first date?’

 

Nik merely shook his head, and then cackled at Patrik’s crestfallen expression. ‘Yes, I did. Of course, loser.’

 

That was all it took to restore the smug look.

 

‘You need to get rid of the beard before I kiss you, though.’

 

‘What are you talking about?’ Patrik looked mock-hurt by his amused tone. ‘Don’t you think it’s sexy?’

 

‘No.’

 

‘Yes, you do.’

 

‘No, I really do not.’

 

‘You like me with or without it.’

 

‘I prefer without.’

 

Thankfully Patrik laughed with him now, before the wide-eyed hopeful look made a reappearance in full force.

 

‘But really, do you want to kiss me?’

 

‘Hmm.’ Nik pretended to be weighing his options, then smiled. ‘Of course.’

 

He leaned in a little too fast, but luckily both he and Patrik seemed to have pretty good awareness of what they were doing and it turned into a fairly solid first kiss. Not amazing, but nice. Nik smiled as he drew away after a couple of seconds. He moved back in enthusiastically, tilting his head, leaning forward over the armrests, and resting his forearms on Patrik’s shoulders so as to make the angle more comfortable for both of them and shift his weight forwards slightly. Patrik’s arms came up to loop over his own shoulders, pulling him a little closer.

 

‘I had a lot of fun today. Thanks to you’, Nik whispered as he leaned away slightly. He wondered if he sounded like the coy girlfriend in an old movie, and almost giggled to himself.

 

‘Better than sitting and listening to Joel snoring.’

 

‘That is true.’

 

Patrik pulled him back down, running his fingers in Nik’s hair.

 

The kiss deepened. Nik stopped himself just short of swinging his leg over and climbing into Patrik’s lap, knowing exactly where that would lead, and he was not about to go there in a public airport, even if the people around them were asleep.

 

It took Nik longer than it should have to realise that the thrumming he felt against his hip was Patrik’s phone vibrating in his pocket.

 

‘Hey, who’s calling you?’, he asked when the Finn eventually pulled back to reach for it. His lips had gone numb and it was strange to talk.

 

Patrik squinted at the screen. ‘It’s Josh.’

 

‘Did he say what he wants?’

 

Nik found himself fixed with a mocking stare. ‘I didn’t answer. I was a bit busy.’

 

‘No, I meant in a text or-’

 

‘Nah. Probably just wondering where we are.’

 

‘Right.’ Nik reluctantly extracted himself from Patrik’s grip and stretched. ‘We should probably get back.’

 

‘Yeah.’

 

They took their time, Nik staying glued to Patrik’s side the entire time. He liked the feeling of Patrik’s arm heavy about his waist, and felt his own face fall slightly when he let go as they approached their team.

 

Somebody must have gone and fetched some blankets for them because they had been stuck in the cold terminal for so long; most of their teammates were huddled up in various red and blue piles dispersed throughout the gate. Nik could see that Mark had fallen asleep with the stats page still in his hand. Jacob was curled into his side under one of the blankets. Connor- or, at least, Nik thought it was Connor- had his blanket over his head.

 

None of the others even looked up as they slid into some seats along from them. They were admittedly probably used to Nik and Patrik disappearing and getting into shenanigans by themselves at this point.

 

Patrik yawned and put his arm across Nik’s shoulders, and Nik nearly doubled over laughing.

 

‘Not so smooth now, huh?’, he whispered.

 

‘It’s a classic.’

 

‘Hey’, Josh leaned over towards them. Nik felt a cold rush as Patrik pulled his arm back.

 

‘What’s up? How come you called me?’

 

‘Just wanted to tell you guys, some people said they were going to bring us blankets. Apparently they told Wheels that they’re just trying to clear the snow a little and check everything is okay to go, that conditions won’t deteriorate again.’

 

‘Must have been difficult at night’, Nik murmured, only half-listening.

 

‘Yeah.’ Josh sighed, running a hand through his hair, then brightened up. ‘Hey, do you guys want a blanket?’

 

‘Sure.’

 

Josh passed them the blanket he was under before moving off to find someone else’s to share.

 

Patrik draped the blanket over the both of them and wrapped his arms around Nik, who sighed and leaned back into them.

 

‘Hey, Pat?’ He looked back up, cringing as Patrik’s beard tickled the back of his head.

 

‘What?’

 

‘How long do you think we’ll be stuck here?’

 

‘Probably not long. It’s getting warmer, see.’

 

‘Yeah. It just feels like this whole night is in its own bubble. Like in a…’ He struggled to find the word he wanted.

 

‘Cocoon?’

 

Nik smiled. ‘Yeah. Like you’re here and you don’t know when it began or when it will end. Like when you’re a kid, wrapped under your blankets in a storm, and it feels like forever but it’s only a few minutes until you fall asleep again.’

 

‘Good metaphor’, Patrik laughed, then added; ‘This will go beyond the storm, though, right? I mean.’ He shifted slightly, trying to gesture with one hand under the blanket. ‘Me and you?’

 

‘Of course.’ Nik caught him, gripping his forearm, and then moved his hand down to clasp Patrik’s in his own. He shuffled about in his seat so that he could comfortably rest his head on Patrik’s shoulder.

 

‘Good. You still owe me dinner. Not McDonalds. _And_ I have to beat you in that game.’

 

‘I know.’ Nik pressed a kiss to the small patch of bare shoulder below his neck, rising above his t-shirt. ‘I don’t know if it’ll be as smooth as yours’, though.’

 

‘That’s okay. Not many people can be as smooth as me.’

 

‘I’ll try, though.’

 

‘As long as you’re there, I’ll enjoy it.’

 

‘ _Wow_.’ Nik pulled back slightly to meet the right winger’s eyes.

 

‘I know.’ Patrik was smirking. ‘ _Smooth._ ’

 

‘Shut up.’ Nik dropped his head back down and pinched Patrik’s side lightly under the blanket.

 

The Finn jumped, then yawned. ‘Okay. M’tired now.’

 

Without another word, he closed his eyes and dropped his big head on top of Nik’s, tucking his face in close to the Dane’s neck.

 

‘Goodnight’, Nik whispered, and received a tired hum in response.

 

Glancing round at his teammates just before closing his own eyes, most of them were passed out in a similar fashion to Patrik.

 

Except Blake, who met Nik’s eyes from the next row of seats. Nik froze. What would the captain think of what they were doing?

 

Only Wheels merely gave a single nod to him, and then leaned back in his seat with his face turned up towards the ceiling, arms folded behind his head.

 

Nik relaxed again, closing his eyes and turning into Patrik’s warmth, his cheeks turning red.

 

He had an awesome second date to plan. Maybe something to do with blanket forts, continuing the theme of this one.

 

But, for now, sleep was calling, and then there would be matches awaiting them, and drills to run in practise, and video games to play. As long as Patrik was there by his side through it all, Nik was pretty certain he could handle it.

 

He cocooned himself in the blanket, dropped his head down so that the noise of the wind was replaced in his ear by the steady sound of Patrik’s heartbeat, and waited for the snow to thaw.


End file.
